Huh? No other comments here? Weird............ Let me begin by saying that if I wrote this piece it would be a little different, but the essential question you're asking would stay the same. (Why do I do this when it makes no sense in the context of 2023 American life?) I too have always had the (probably romantic) image of myself as a struggling artist, living in a garret, wrestling to give birth to a work of genius. You know of which I speak, right? I did live that archetype for a number of years. I supported myself, just barely, by driving a cab, writing and painting when I could, but ultimately found it necessary to beat a retreat, get a straight job, and eventually have a family. Sellout, right? Ha! Even a happy fate can be cruel. Fast forward to today. When I go into a bookstore, when I open Amazon, when I turn on Netflix, I am struck by the sheer monstrous excess, surplus, surfeit, superabundance of everything. Who reads all these bright new books? When I browse a little, I'm even more puzzled. You said it! The world does not need another book. It does not need another movie or TV show either. We (collectively), even if we were given a hundred years to dedicate ourselves to it, will never catch up to today. So why do I do this writing thing? There is no good answer. The best one might simply be, "from compulsion." I'm obsessed. I have these ideas and I need to write them down before they disappear like smoke. Then I need to organize them and finesse them. Why? For who? Do I think some future archaeologist will discover my work so I should make sure I've crossed my t's and dotted all my i's? Absurd. Do I do this for my friends? I don't know about you but my friends, the ones who read stories anyway, are pretty shallow readers. (They have other charms thankfully). Is it for myself? Now I seem to be getting to the crux of it. Writing seems to be something I need to do for myself. I like that quote from Joan Didion: "I write to find out what I think." That's the approximate paraphrase, but the meaning resonates. If I did not write this stuff I feel like I could never understand myself or the life I've been leading on planet Earth. It's crazy because I spend so much time on this pursuit, time that I should (perhaps) be simply "living." Where does this strange idea originate that it is a good thing to "make something" of your life? What is the worth? What is the value except to yourself? It's a great mystery, and we may very well be acting on self delusion.
I've also been thinking a lot about the "why" of writing lately. Each person seems to have their own reasons. I'm happy for you (and a little jealous) that you feel a need to write for yourself and that self expression is enough. For me, it's more a matter of being generally dissatisfied with most of the stories on offer (numerous though they may be) and wanting to write the things no one else is. Though perhaps that sounds a little negative. I also want to give back to the hobby of reading which has given so much to me in terms of inspiration, encouragement, and thought-provoking questions.
Hey, don't get me wrong. I long for appreciative (I almost typed, "adoring!") readers which is why I'm on substack. I need a little affirmation now and then. But, as to what I write about, it's the fruit of my daydreams mainly and I don't really think about marketability any more, if I ever did. Also, getting back to the issue of your latest essay, I don't keep up with the latest trends at all. I read more dead writers than living ones.
You have what I would refer to as “artistic integrity,” which is always something to be proud of. Maybe the reason I personally *do* think about the market and try to learn modern methods is because I enjoy the challenge of continuous learning, of writing within limitations, and I also feel that my art won’t be personally satisfying until it’s also publicly accepted. Having readers is one piece of me considering myself successful at this vocation.
I started following you when I read the fascinating exchange between you and GMBaker. Thank you for writing about writing! TBH, I don't know much about the Universe, but I do believe my country does need my novel. So I'm writing it. That was the existential invitation I accepted, but there are many more reasons, some of which I cannot articulate. But here goes:
- I meant it when I said the country needs my novel...I believe it does. I would welcome it from any author, but my life experience makes me a good candidate for authoring it.
- The topic is something I know about and I've spent two years doing research to make sure I under the dimensions of the experience
- Writing is my only well-developed skill. I've written since I was a child-poems, short stories, magazine articles, media reviews, political speeches, white papers, greeting cards, print/TV/digital advertising, public relations materials, package and catalog copy..guess I missed fortune cookie blurbs.
- I hold an advanced degree in communication with a concentration in persuasion. I knew about the muckrakers, especially Upton Sinclair. I wanted to turn my professional and educational experiences into using a novel as a modern-day Paul Revere: to warn, excite, arm with info, and motivate.
- I love to learn. I started to write this novel...couldn't. So I took fiction (creative writing) classes for 2 years...still take them and learn something every semester. It's been a great trip!
- Writing gives meaning to my life because it links me to others--readers. It also gives me reasons to reach out, to study and communicate with a range of others with a purpose.
- I've particularly enjoyed how to employ plot twists. I love secrets, their meaning, discovery, concealment, and surprise factor.
- I can't think of a better 'something' to do with my time: Wash dishes? Go shopping? Watch TV? Read and ranting in WaPo and the NYT? Taking a group bus tour of Scotland?
I love your list of reasons. I’ve found that some of mine grow weaker over time and others grow stronger - so it’s nice to have layers of motivation to fall back on. The biggest thing that matters is feeling like you have to write, or are called to.
But you also make a good point: What else would we do with our time? There are many options, but I find it unsatisfying to always be consuming and never stepping into the harder challenge of producing. Thus the writing.
I found a doc I wrote several years ago about my writing that made some of these points. I forgot my writer’s slogan:
Have pen, will scribble.
That says it all.
Huh? No other comments here? Weird............ Let me begin by saying that if I wrote this piece it would be a little different, but the essential question you're asking would stay the same. (Why do I do this when it makes no sense in the context of 2023 American life?) I too have always had the (probably romantic) image of myself as a struggling artist, living in a garret, wrestling to give birth to a work of genius. You know of which I speak, right? I did live that archetype for a number of years. I supported myself, just barely, by driving a cab, writing and painting when I could, but ultimately found it necessary to beat a retreat, get a straight job, and eventually have a family. Sellout, right? Ha! Even a happy fate can be cruel. Fast forward to today. When I go into a bookstore, when I open Amazon, when I turn on Netflix, I am struck by the sheer monstrous excess, surplus, surfeit, superabundance of everything. Who reads all these bright new books? When I browse a little, I'm even more puzzled. You said it! The world does not need another book. It does not need another movie or TV show either. We (collectively), even if we were given a hundred years to dedicate ourselves to it, will never catch up to today. So why do I do this writing thing? There is no good answer. The best one might simply be, "from compulsion." I'm obsessed. I have these ideas and I need to write them down before they disappear like smoke. Then I need to organize them and finesse them. Why? For who? Do I think some future archaeologist will discover my work so I should make sure I've crossed my t's and dotted all my i's? Absurd. Do I do this for my friends? I don't know about you but my friends, the ones who read stories anyway, are pretty shallow readers. (They have other charms thankfully). Is it for myself? Now I seem to be getting to the crux of it. Writing seems to be something I need to do for myself. I like that quote from Joan Didion: "I write to find out what I think." That's the approximate paraphrase, but the meaning resonates. If I did not write this stuff I feel like I could never understand myself or the life I've been leading on planet Earth. It's crazy because I spend so much time on this pursuit, time that I should (perhaps) be simply "living." Where does this strange idea originate that it is a good thing to "make something" of your life? What is the worth? What is the value except to yourself? It's a great mystery, and we may very well be acting on self delusion.
I've also been thinking a lot about the "why" of writing lately. Each person seems to have their own reasons. I'm happy for you (and a little jealous) that you feel a need to write for yourself and that self expression is enough. For me, it's more a matter of being generally dissatisfied with most of the stories on offer (numerous though they may be) and wanting to write the things no one else is. Though perhaps that sounds a little negative. I also want to give back to the hobby of reading which has given so much to me in terms of inspiration, encouragement, and thought-provoking questions.
Hey, don't get me wrong. I long for appreciative (I almost typed, "adoring!") readers which is why I'm on substack. I need a little affirmation now and then. But, as to what I write about, it's the fruit of my daydreams mainly and I don't really think about marketability any more, if I ever did. Also, getting back to the issue of your latest essay, I don't keep up with the latest trends at all. I read more dead writers than living ones.
You have what I would refer to as “artistic integrity,” which is always something to be proud of. Maybe the reason I personally *do* think about the market and try to learn modern methods is because I enjoy the challenge of continuous learning, of writing within limitations, and I also feel that my art won’t be personally satisfying until it’s also publicly accepted. Having readers is one piece of me considering myself successful at this vocation.
I started following you when I read the fascinating exchange between you and GMBaker. Thank you for writing about writing! TBH, I don't know much about the Universe, but I do believe my country does need my novel. So I'm writing it. That was the existential invitation I accepted, but there are many more reasons, some of which I cannot articulate. But here goes:
- I meant it when I said the country needs my novel...I believe it does. I would welcome it from any author, but my life experience makes me a good candidate for authoring it.
- The topic is something I know about and I've spent two years doing research to make sure I under the dimensions of the experience
- Writing is my only well-developed skill. I've written since I was a child-poems, short stories, magazine articles, media reviews, political speeches, white papers, greeting cards, print/TV/digital advertising, public relations materials, package and catalog copy..guess I missed fortune cookie blurbs.
- I hold an advanced degree in communication with a concentration in persuasion. I knew about the muckrakers, especially Upton Sinclair. I wanted to turn my professional and educational experiences into using a novel as a modern-day Paul Revere: to warn, excite, arm with info, and motivate.
- I love to learn. I started to write this novel...couldn't. So I took fiction (creative writing) classes for 2 years...still take them and learn something every semester. It's been a great trip!
- Writing gives meaning to my life because it links me to others--readers. It also gives me reasons to reach out, to study and communicate with a range of others with a purpose.
- I've particularly enjoyed how to employ plot twists. I love secrets, their meaning, discovery, concealment, and surprise factor.
- I can't think of a better 'something' to do with my time: Wash dishes? Go shopping? Watch TV? Read and ranting in WaPo and the NYT? Taking a group bus tour of Scotland?
I love your list of reasons. I’ve found that some of mine grow weaker over time and others grow stronger - so it’s nice to have layers of motivation to fall back on. The biggest thing that matters is feeling like you have to write, or are called to.
But you also make a good point: What else would we do with our time? There are many options, but I find it unsatisfying to always be consuming and never stepping into the harder challenge of producing. Thus the writing.